No treeline shift despite climate change over the last 70 years

Beloiu, Mirela; Poursanidis, Dimitris; Tsakirakis, Antonis; Chrysoulakis, Nektarios; Hoffmann, Samuel; Lymberakis, Petros; Barnias, Antonis; Kienle, David; Beierkuhnlein, Carl

doi:10.1016/j.fecs.2022.100002

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…The alpine treeline in the study area was most widely distributed in the range of 2950-3250 m, with a cumulative probability of 71.80%. This was consistent with the research results of Beloiu et al [22]. In the past 34 years, the alpine treeline has shifted from a low altitude to a high altitude.…”

Section: Distribution Characteristics Of the Alpine Treelinesupporting

confidence: 93%

Distribution Characteristics of the Alpine Treeline and Vegetation Response to Climate Change of Taibai Mountain, China

Wang

Gao

2022

Geofluids

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Climate change significantly affects global forest ecosystems, and the alpine treeline is sensitive to global warming. The alpine treeline data using high-resolution remote sensing images during four periods from 1987 to 2020 at Taibai Mountain are extracted. The dynamic change process of the alpine treeline and the response of vegetation near the alpine treeline to climate change are analyzed. The results showed that the alpine treeline of Taibai Mountain was primarily distributed in the range of 2266-3692 m, and the average elevation of the alpine treeline showed a trend of “rising-decreasing.” The elevation of the alpine treelines of the sunny slopes were much higher than that of the shady slopes, and the highest values typically appeared on slopes and steep slopes of 15-35°. Vegetation is sensitive to temperature changes, and it typically displays a synchronous increase and decrease. However, there was a lag in the precipitation of approximately one year, and the rising temperatures of the sunny slopes were not conducive to vegetation growth. The vegetation will be dominated by a trend of unsustainable improvement in the future, and there exists a risk of continuous vegetation degradation on the northern slopes. However, a warm and humid climate will be conducive to vegetation growth above the alpine treeline.

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Section: Distribution Characteristics Of the Alpine Treelinesupporting

confidence: 93%

Distribution Characteristics of the Alpine Treeline and Vegetation Response to Climate Change of Taibai Mountain, China

Wang

Gao

2022

Geofluids

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“…In the same topic, Beloiu et al [68] conducted research on the treeline dynamic in semiarid Crete, Greece, from 1945 to 2015 and found that, despite an increase in temperature over the past 70 years, there was no shift in the treeline. Strong correlations were found between the treeline elevation and topographic exposure to wind, suggesting that the temporal lag in treeline response to warming could be explained by a combination of topographic and microclimatic factors.…”

Section: Climate Change and Forest Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Climate Change on Greek Forests: A Review

Koulelis¹,

Proutsos²,

Solomou³

et al. 2023

Atmosphere

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This study reviews the impacts of climate change on Greek forests, analysing factors such as climate trends, forest management, biodiversity, genetics, insects, and wildfires, using data from the Scopus and Mendeley databases and official reports. By utilising our current understanding and allocating necessary efforts and resources, we actively address climate change consequences on forests. This study focuses on climate change and extreme weather outcomes on forests. Greek mountain forests at 520–1310 m experience decreasing annual mean and minimum temperatures (−0.015 and −0.027 °C yr–1) but increasing maximum temperatures (+0.014 °C yr–1), especially in Southern Greece (+0.047 °C yr–1). Recent findings reveal forests migrating to higher altitudes with favourable conditions, correlating with water availability, temperature, and tree growth, necessitating further research on forest productivity. A decline in fir tree-ring growth (Average Tree Ring Width Index < 0.6) is observed in mainland Greece, indicating temperature’s effect on growth. Effective forest tree conservation requires prioritising biodiversity monitoring, considering climate change impacts on phenology and addressing the absence of strategies to protect and enhance genetic diversity. Climate change influenced 70 forestry pests’ ranges, notably among Greek insect pests. Annual burned areas from forest fires data indicate a consistent long-term increasing trend, underscoring fire prevention prioritization and exploring fire risk, behaviour, and climate change. The study highlights two to four significant knowledge gaps, and one to three key challenges pertaining to the six research areas. Finally, it promotes partnerships for informed decision-making and better outcomes by integrating Indigenous knowledge, scientific understanding, and collaboration among research, policy, and local management.

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“…Holtmeier and Broll (2020), so far, made the largest review on treeline research, giving an overview of changes and trends in treeline research. Recent treeline studies focus on treeline dynamics (e.g., Beloiu et al, 2021; Hansson et al, 2021; Harsch et al, 2009; Jacob et al, 2015), treeline ecotone (e.g., Bader et al, 2021) or treelines on islands (e.g., Irl et al, 2016; Karger et al, 2019). Temperature‐related growth limitations of trees at the treeline are currently the best‐supported explanation of the global treeline (Case & Duncan, 2014; Irl et al, 2016; Körner & Paulsen, 2004; Troll, 1961).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mass elevation effect and continentality have a stronger impact on global treelines than spatial isolation

Kienle

Irl

Beierkuhnlein

2023

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Alpine treelines are one of the most prominent natural borders between ecosystems. The alpine treeline is characterized by sharp ecotones and short dispersal distances, in contrast to the arctic treeline between the zonal biomes of boreal forest and tundra (Körner, 2012). However, both separate tree-dominated ecosystems from treeless ecosystems characterized by perennial grasses and clonal dwarf shrubs (Körner, 2012

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No treeline shift despite climate change over the last 70 years

Cited by 18 publications

References 76 publications

Distribution Characteristics of the Alpine Treeline and Vegetation Response to Climate Change of Taibai Mountain, China

Distribution Characteristics of the Alpine Treeline and Vegetation Response to Climate Change of Taibai Mountain, China

Effects of Climate Change on Greek Forests: A Review

Mass elevation effect and continentality have a stronger impact on global treelines than spatial isolation

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